Panama Leaks: PM's children submit replies in SC

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Monday resumed hearing of the Panama Leaks case. 

The Prime Minister’s children Maryam Nawaz, Hassan Nawaz and Hussain Nawaz submitted their replies in the Supreme Court on Monday.

It was stated in the replies that Hussain Nawaz and Hassan Nawaz have been living outside Pakistan for 16 and 22 years, respectively. Their father Nawaz Sharif has no involvement in his children’s businesses as well as no connection with properties in London.

Maryam, Hassan and Hussain Nawaz are mature, independent adults, the replies stated.

In his reply Hassan Nawaz said that he was involved in lawful business and did not own assets or companies in London. The reply added that none of the parties had bought any property between 1992 and 1993.

Maryam Nawaz was not the actual owner of assets and companies; she was in fact only their trustee, the reply added.

It was also stated that Maryam Nawaz was not a party to companies based in Virgin Islands, and the allegations were ‘baseless’.

The statement said that Hussain Nawaz had given $1,914,054 to Nawaz Sharif as a gift in 2011. It added that Nawaz Sharif had given Rs 31,70,000 to Maryam Nawaz while Rs 19,459,440 to Hassan Nawaz as a gift.

Court’s statements

During the hearing Justice Asif Saeed Khosa said that the Prime Minister has agreed to step down if the ruling is against him.

“We can give a clean chit, or rule against the Prime Minister,” he said, adding that the court will not go into the details of the issue or visit Panama.

The Supreme Court directed Sharif family’s lawyer to submit all documents by November 15 before the next hearing.

Justice Asif Saeed Khosa said that the Prime Minister’s children’s reply did not deny ownership of offshore companies. He added that the children’s reply accepted the allegations in Imran Khan’s petition related to ownership of the companies.

Justice Khosa directed the Sharif family’s lawyer to convince the court that the money was transferred abroad in accordance with the law.

“It is the duty of the owners to convince the Supreme Court after accepting ownership,” he said.

Statements by politicians

Speaking outside the Supreme Court, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb said there is a difference between containers and courts.

"In the courts it is all about evidence. In the containers they can only hurl allegations," she said.

Marriyum Aurangzeb said that the Prime Minister had presented himself for accountability. She added that what Imran Khan says outside the court cannot be said inside the court.

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"Those who were lying will now run away. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf should now direct their energies towards gathering evidence," she said.

PML-N leader Talal Chaudhry said the government would win the battle inside the court as well, adding that PTI cannot win against PML-N even in the Supreme Court.

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PTI General Secretary Jahangir Tareen said all eyes are on the Supreme Court and the case should be wound up in 15-20 days.

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Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rasheed said on the occasion that the Supreme Court would announce the country’s most important decision to date.

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The Supreme Court earlier today criticized politicians over holding press conferences outside the court. It was agreed that press talks should be held at a distance from the court. 

Last week’s hearing

In the previous hearing, the Supreme Court had given the children of PM Nawaz Sharif time till Monday to submit their statements, with the warning that if the statements were not submitted according to law, the accusations would be deemed true.

The CJ had remarked that a one-member judicial commission would be formed with the powers of the Supreme Court to investigate the information emanating from the Panama Papers leaks.

On Friday Capt (R) Safdar had submitted his reply in the Panama Leaks case in the Supreme Court in which he had claimed that his wife Maryam Nawaz did not own any offshore account and had been framed in a fake case by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman Imran Khan.

Capt (R) Safdar had stated that his wife regularly filed taxes and had submitted details of her assets in her tax returns. He had claimed that he had submitted details of his assets in his nomination papers.

Various political parties, including the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, Jamaat-e-Islami, Awami Muslim League and Jamhoori Watan Party, and an individual Tariq Asad had moved the apex court against PM Nawaz Sharif and his family over various charges, including money-laundering, setting up of offshore companies illegally and non-declaration of their assets.